Got spare beetroot?

See bunches of beetroot in the supermarket or fruit and veg stall, decide that you are going to make loads of beetroot juice and then realise you don’t really like it enough to use up a whole bunch of beetroot.

I do this at least a couple of times a year, which is one of the reasons I love this recipe. It’s quick and easy to do (unless you have to grate stuff by hand, in which case it’s still easy, but takes a little bit of extra effort!) and it’ll keep in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days, which means you have a handy, ready to go boost of beetroot whenever you need it.

Carrot and beetroot salad

(inspired by my lovely friend Jo)

2 carrots 2 beetroots A tablespoon of olive oil The juice of a lemon or a lime or a big dash of apple cider vinegar A tablespoon of sesame or poppy seeds (optional) A handful of raisins (again, totally optional)

Grate the carrots and beetroots together (I always used to do this by hand until I realised that my blender-thing magically grates stuff too – doh!) Add the other ingredients and mix well.

This lovely salad goes with pretty much anything you can think of (except maybe soup or stew) – it’s especially nice with a tasty omelette (says me, with a lot of experience of this meal!)

Coming up with ideas for meals is really tricky – I’m definitely a creature of habit when it comes to cooking because I tend to not want to have to come up with new ideas nor do I want to waste food if it tastes like pap. But, changing the way you eat, at least a little bit as we move through the seasons, is a really great way to stop getting bored of the same old, same old, each and every week.

That’s one of the reasons I created my Five Day Seasonal Reboots – so I don’t end up boring myself with eating the exact same meals, each week, each season, all year round.